The reigning league MVP Rose, perhaps a more important player to the Bulls than any other individual player to his team because of the lack of another dominant player, missed more than 40 percent of the teamís games. Yet, the Bulls by a slight percentage point had a better record in the shortened 66-game season than last season when the Bulls were 62-20.

The Bulls winning percentage this season was 75.7 percent compared to 75.6 percent last season.

This season also ranked as the fourth best in winning percentage in franchise history behind only 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1991-92. Three times when the Bulls won championships they had a lower regular season winning percentage. And never when the Bulls won a championship did they have as many injuries.

In fact, in the six championship seasons combined, Jordan missed a total of six games. Scottie Pippen missed just one game in the first three championship seasons combined and then five combined in 1996 and 1997 before missing the first part of the final championship season after surgery.